Passengers can choose ‘no check-in baggage fares’ in domestic airlines

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 26

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday allowed airlines to offer concessions in ticket prices to passengers with no check-in luggage.

This move comes weeks after the government hike the domestic airfare limits by 10-30 percent across India. As per the current rules, a passenger can carry up to 7 kilograms of cabin baggage and 15 kilograms of check-in baggage. Any additional weight is chargeable.

The new rule will allow the operators to provide tickets at lesser prices to those who opt to travel with no baggage or only with cabin baggage within the permissible weight limit.

To avail the discounts, passengers will have to declare at the time of the booking of the ticket the weight of baggage they will be carrying.

The move comes as an effort to make flying more affordable and accessible to passengers.

The aviation body has also allowed unbundling of other services like preferential seating, meal-snack-drink charges, airline lounges, sports equipment charges and musical instrument charge etc.

The circular reads that “as part of airline baggage policy, scheduled airlines will be allowed to offer free baggage allowance as well as “zero baggage/no check in baggage fares”.

“As part of airline baggage policy, scheduled airlines will be allowed to offer free baggage allowance as well as “zero baggage/no check in baggage fares”.

This will be subject to the condition that the passenger booking ticket under such fare scheme is made aware of the charges that shall be applicable if the passenger turns up with the baggage for check in at the airline counter. These applicable charges shall be reasonable; prominently displayed to the passenger at the time of booking of the ticket and also to be printed on the ticket,” DGCA said in a circular.